Brie Richards is a Senior Sourcing Specialist at the newly re-branded Brightspot Incentives & Events (formerly Spear One). A young professional, she was the recipient of the 2017 Global DMC Partners Rising Star award due to her passion for the industry and her contributions to GDP’s success through her participation on our Customer Advisory Board.  We asked Brie for her perspective and insights on the industry, such as challenges, trends, travel tips – and more!

GDP: Why, when, and/or how did you decide to join the meetings industry? 

BR: As a child, my mom was an event planner, so I grew up around the hustle and bustle of events. I loved it, and even then it was always so exciting to see it all come together! In college, I started taking an interest in event planning and wanted to pursue that as a career. I soon found out the world of “event planning” had many avenues and began to research what I might enjoy most. It was not until after school that I began to learn about the meeting’s industry as an option. I had a connection who introduced me to Mike May, the President of Brightspot, and I met with him to learn about the industry. It was not long after that meeting that I applied for a job and accepted my first role with the team here, and they have been stuck with me ever since!

GDP: Where do you see our industry 10 years from now?

BR: I think our industry will only continue to grow and thrive considering the worldwide increase in travel, but this growth will not come without its challenges. I think safety is a huge issue we need to address moving forward to create a safe and memorable trip or meeting for our client’s and their employees.   

GDP: What is your favorite part of your job and why?

BR: I love learning about new and exciting destinations and of course getting to meet all the amazing people from them.

GDP: What is the most challenging part of your job? Do you have a process or procedure to help overcome this challenge?

BR: I think the most challenging part of my job is juggling multiple projects at once while being sure to pay attention to detail and remember the nuances of each client. My best process I have found for overcoming this is to stay as organized as possible. I keep a running checklist of things that need to be done and also color code and file away emails and documents that may be helpful for me to reference next time I work on a particular program or with a certain client.

GDP: What is your favorite trend in the industry right now?

BR: I love the added emphasis on healthy and local food! As a foodie and health nut myself, I greatly value learning and trying the local fare when I travel while still being able to make healthy decisions. I love seeing that this is catching on and that the emphasis on health and wellness is becoming important to attendees and planners alike.

GDP: What do you see as your biggest success so far?

BR: I think my biggest success so far is finding a place where I get to work first hand with people who have been in the industry for many years. As a young professional being new to the industry, the knowledge of our team is invaluable, and I have learned so much from our team over the last 3 ½ years.

GDP: What do you never travel without, or what is your best travel tip?

BR: I never travel without my Advocare Spark and Emergen-C vitamin C supplement. I have to keep my energy and mental focus as well as fight off sickness for when I work long hours or am dealing with time changes!

GDP: What do you enjoy most about working with Global DMC Partners, and why?

BR: I appreciate the timely response when requesting information as well as the accuracy of the DMC’s and their attention to detail. Also, having a direct GDP advisor who can help with any and all requests makes getting connect to 100s of DMC’s quick and easy!